Meditation
by audsome
Summary: After meditating about Misao, Aoshi remembers that he had agreed to eat lunch with her. What can a shy guy and a hyperactive chick do when lunch turns into a disaster?
1. Dreams are for Real

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. I'm just a fan writing for my own amusement.

_What is Meditation?  
_  
_Focusing ones thoughts on a single idea or object.  
_  
Aoshi sat at the temple meditating just like every other day. He was pondering, wondering thinking about the certain object he had an idea about. No, it is not: 'I want to be The Strongest. Must. Kill. Battousai.' It is or at least should be the most pondered, wondered about, and thought about question in the world. _Does she like me?_ 'Ahh. Misao,' he thought focusing all of his thought and energy on her. On the way she threw her daggers, on the way she laughs. A smile crept up on his normally icy-calm face scaring the unfortunate Buddhist monk that happened to walk by at that moment.

Aoshi snapped back to reality. He removed the smile from his face once he noticed or rather felt the gaze of that monk. Aoshi _never_ smiles! He gathered his thoughts back together again on her, but this time careful not to let his emotion run wild across his face like last time.

'She has a cute, rather plump smile... good for kis- Oh NO!! Can't have my thoughts go _there_ in a temple!' Thought Shinomori, a blush creeping along his neck. 'Her indecent clothing lets one see her trim, well-formed muscles. I hope no other guys ever gawk at her! Maybe I should... nah, she can take care of herself with her trim, well formed... mmm... muscles. I bet she tastes sweet...'

He snapped once again back to reality because that 'tastes sweet' part reminded him that Misao had asked him to have tea with her and he would not be late -again- to have tea. Misao had also specifically asked for him to meet her for tea. Today. 'Misao... she really is beautiful. Well, I guess twelve hours of thinking about her is enough. Now I get to see her!' He thought giddily.

'Well, who said meditation was for religion or soul-searching was way off!' Aoshi thought as he stopped meditating about Misao and stood up to leave.

As he was leaving the temple he bowed to a monk that was always standing by the doors. "I see you are leaving early Shinomori-san."

"Yes," he answered back and that was all that was needed.

AN: Um, so I hope you enjoyed the first chapter and that you continue reading! Drop a review somewhere in-between voicing your opinion of this little ficcie!


	2. Walking is such a Bother

Chapter 2  
  
Aoshi found that he had strayed from the path to the Tea House where he was meeting Misao for tea and/or other things that go into you stomach to replenish your strength. Maybe this was a sign that he shouldn't start taking orders from that small little girl. Girl? She wasn't a girl anymore. She is a woman, maybe not mature but mature where it counts.  
  
Aoshi smiled. Again. Something he was getting very sick of. It wasn't that he wanted to be some macho guy. He just didn't like the wrinkles it gave him. He used to smile all the time until he found a little wrinkle creeping up on his face. But, to be honest, he'd rather have people think he wanted to be cold rather than have them know he cared about wrinkles.  
  
"Fresh Flowers!" Cried out an old lady, the flower lady, as he passed by her wares. She had wrinkles. Many, many wrinkles. Something that Aoshi would never have.  
  
He continued on past her, returning to the path that would eventually lead him to the Tea House. He past so many chances to escape but he never could find a break in the crowd to let him out. Okay, so he didn't really want to go back on his semi-promise top Misao. Also, she was scary... sometimes. If she felt she was wronged somehow she wouldn't stop until she got what she wanted. Sometimes that was an apology. And sometimes it was beating that person up.  
  
Shinomori Aoshi does not go back on his word.  
  
So he continued on, doing something that he was thoroughly against. Maybe he'll get lucky and find out that she forgot. He loved her and all but he couldn't be putty in her hands. To late, he already was and there was nothing he could do about it. Good thing she doesn't know. Yet?  
  
When he looked up from starring at the ground he found himself at the place he has been dreading all day. Maybe be can just wait out here and she won't see him. Then he won't be force to go inside. Yes. That is a perfect plan.  
  
"Aoshi-san!" Yelled out a familiar voice. Aoshi didn't have to turn around to know that it was Misao. When he did turn around he saw her waving madly at him, smiling as if he had made her the happiest person in the world.

* * *

AN: this chapters will be short unless I am inspired to write them longer.


	3. Where’s that damn no name Waitress!

Chapter 3  
  
"Yeah! Aoshi-san! You're here! I didn't think you'd come this time," Misao was happy, which made Aoshi happy. But no one would know that now would they.  
  
"Huh, hello Misao-san," Aoshi answered her politely, shifting around.  
  
Misao grabbed his lonely hand and dragged him up the Tea House steps and through the doors. Not letting go for fear that he would vanish. She waved to people she knew, none Aoshi knew, and waved joyfully at them. All done with one hand fastened to Aoshi's. As she got to their table she reluctantly let go. Like he would actually run away when he was already in the place!  
  
"Hello! Here are your menus, I'll be back shortly!" Told a busy sounding waitress. She shoved the menus under their noses and ran off to the place where waitresses wait. Where ever that is.  
  
He picked up his menu and looked at it. Slowly. What should he have? Hmmm... Maybe he should ask Misao's opinion. No. Aoshi does not ask people's opinions about anything. Especially something as insignificant as food.  
  
"Misao-san," he's a traitor to even himself! "What are you having?" Well, that wasn't exactly the same as asking what he should have, it was more like getting her opinion of what's good.  
  
"Hmmm... I don't know. I'm having some ginseng tea, maybe... I don't know what I should eat. What are you eating?" She asked a bit nervously.  
  
"What are you guys gonna have to drink?" Butted in the waitress, unknowingly saving Aoshi from the trouble of answering a question he didn't know the answer to.  
  
"I'll have some ginseng tea," Misao told her.  
  
"And you sir?"  
  
"I'll have some too."  
  
She wrote down their drink orders and sped off. Aoshi wasn't liking this waitress, it doesn't matter that she saved him from the impossible. She didn't tell them her name like all other waiters and waitresses do, she didn't even give him enough time to choose his own drink! Maybe she will give them enough time to find the right food. Maybe. Who knows with these crazy waiters and waitresses now a days.  
  
"So, Aoshi-san, what are you having?"  
  
What's with all these questions! Monks don't ask a lot of questions. They don't even ask any! Why did he have to leave his silent chamber of daydreaming? Daydreaming of Misao is a lot better than actually being with her. When you daydream of her she can't say stupid things. She can't do stupid things. But, she can't do stupid cute things. Maybe daydreaming of her isn't as good as actually being with her.  
  
"I'm having shrimp fried rice," he answered her. Good thing he remembered something that's on the menu because he hasn't even taken a look at it.  
  
"That sounds good! I think I'll have the miso soup and some of this foreign food. The owner of this place is trying out all kinds of food. He's trying to see which ones will be more welcomed by the public so I promised to try some the next time I came here."  
  
Yeah, okay. That's nice.  
  
Where's that damn no-name waitress?!  
  
AN: Yeah. So. Okay. I'm having fun writing this and it is coming out easily. I have the perfect ending already planned out. Well, just the last scene. 


	4. The Wonders of Chopsticks Galore

Chapter 4

'Hmm... I should say something. What? Conversation would be good right about now!' Aoshi thought nervously. He wasn't a very good conversationist.

He twirled his chopsticks through his fingers on his right hand. Misao was watching him with great amusement and concentration. She looked to her chopsticks, wondering if she could ever do something like that. She decided that giving up before trying was against her religion. She picked up her chopsticks going to try that brave feat. She started out slowly, and then as she got better she moved her fingers faster around the chopsticks. Aoshi looked up from his trick to see Misao doing the same thing that he was doing. Except better, and now she was flipping the chopsticks from hand to hand. How could this be? How could Misao do that better than him? Then, the chopsticks flung from her fingers across the room to hit their waitress that suddenly appeared. They smacked her right on the forehead rendering her unconscious.

Misao and Aoshi started in wide-eyed shock at their now unconscious mattress.

They started laughing. Misao at first louder than Aoshi but soon he was laughing his head off. All the other patrons starred at them with fright, and alarmed that they would laugh at that poor waitress. Then, maybe laughing is contagious because everyone else started laughing. At first it started out small, then it grew, and grew, and grew until the whole Tea House was in a wild uproar of cackling.

Then a waiter pulled the unconscious waitress out of the dinning area followed by some subdued laughter.

Everyone tried to pull themselves together. Some people lost their appetite, full from of the laughing they had done. But Misao and Aoshi stayed because they still wanted their food that they hadn't ordered yet and their waitress was now out of commission. How were they suppose to get their food?

Aoshi and Misao's lunch was now not only the only one they had together but also the best one they had together. They were all smiles now.

"Hello," a voice said cutting of their fun. "I, Takashi Minoshu, will be your new waiter. Here is the tea that you ordered." He told them, putting their cups on the table followed by the teapot. "I will be back shortly to get your food order." He left Misao and Aoshi with a swish.

"Misao-san," Aoshi inquired.

"Yes, Aoshi-san?"

"I am glad that I came here with you."

"So am I," she said smiling as broadly as she could. "I don't think I'll ever try that again."

Two people next to them stood up and left the Tea House talking about Misao's feat with the chopsticks. They said it like they had never played with their chopsticks before. Aoshi has started doing that when he was a kid about seven years old.

"You should. You were quite good at it."

Misao was never 'quite good' about anything. She either 'should never touch a torch again' or she 'should be locked inside of an inpenatrable block of cement that should be tossed into the deepest part of the ocean.' Aoshi was so nice! He would say anything to make Misao happy.

"You think? Maybe I should try to make my fingers a little less slippery next time." She muttered taking a napkin and rugging her fingers in it.

She took a sip of her tea when the waiter came back.

The waiter pulled out a pad of paper and a pen, "what will you be ordering?"


	5. Two Polish Ducks Please!

Warning: OOC. Personally, I think this whole thing has been out of character.

* * *

Chapter 5  
  
Misao pondered a bit, rereading what was on the menu before she chose what she wanted to eat. "I'll be ordering-"  
  
"Nothing," Aoshi cut in quickly. "We aren't going to eat here." He told the waiter. He pulled out some yen that would pay for the tea that they ordered and handed it over to the waiter. "Come on Misao-san, I don't think you'd want to eat in this stuffy place."  
  
Misao jumped up from her seat. She was really happy; Aoshi was beginning to understand her. She didn't really want to eat here, she just asked Aoshi to eat here because she didn't think he would want to eat at her favorite places. "Okay Aoshi-san! Let's go!"  
  
Aoshi took her hand and led her out of that place.  
  
'What am I doing? This is really unlike me! Where are we going to eat now? I sense that Misao is hungry so why did she want to leave with me? Saying that we were going to leave was spur of the moment! Well, not really. I had been thinking about it ever since Misao picked up her chopsticks. But I didn't think I'd actually go through with it! What am I going to do?'  
  
Misao started humming, still holding on to Aoshi's hand because he was too deep in thought to remember that he still held her hand. All the better for her. 

She led Aoshi out of the restaurant area to her favorite place to eat. The snack places. She loved that Korean pancake (AN: okay, so that's an American description of it, so what? I don't know how the Japanese would describe it.) with that oh so yummy filling inside of it. She couldn't pronounce the name of it, but she did know where the stand was and what the name sounds like. Polish Duck or Bull Dog. (You decide.) Personally, Misao thought it could be either one of them even though they sounded nothing alike.  
  
'Does Aoshi-san like them? Would he?' She thought stopping in front of the stand full of the delicious treat that she wanted so much to share with Aoshi.  
  
"Yes? What would you like?" Asked the stand-owner person. Misao was uncertain of what to call them or what they call themselves. The person hand a foreigners accent so she must be a Korean that some how came to live in Japan. Either that or the person visited Korean, liked their food, came back to Japan and started a business selling Korean food and developed a Korean accent.  
  
"I would like some Polish Duck please. Wait, make that two!" She said indicating Aoshi who was still deep in thought.

* * *

AN: Wow! This is definitely not where I was heading. I just wrote what came out... which might be a bad thing because I don't know how to get where I want from where unless a carnival came to Kyoto. 

Yeah! I got on the computer a lot today so I decided to finish this. Hm... I'll tell you something about this fic. I think it's going to be long. Maybe like five more chapters. Or it could be short like three or two more chapters but i don't know as of yet. (hehe! that sounds cool!) I'll just make this fun and enjoyable to read.

And that Korean pancake... I think it's spelled something like hotuk. I don't know if any of you guys know than I would love to know too. I think it sounds like polish duck and bull dog. My friend introduced it to my stomach (then I didn't think it tasted good but now I do) and i thought she was saying polish duck and bull dog instead of whatever she said.


	6. Walking to Blossoms

Chapter 6

"Here is your hotuk," said the snack-stand person, handing Misao both of the steaming hot delicacies.

Misao took them hungrily after paying.. "Thank you!" She pulled the recovering Aoshi over to the side so others could eat her delicious bull dog. "Here Aoshi-san, some Polish Duck for a snack!" She waved it under his nose.

That snapped him fully back. He looked to Misao for an answer to what had happened and saw that she was handing him something. So he took the hotuk.

"Thank you Misao-san for the... uh... nice snack." He was uncertain as to what exactly it was that she had given him.

'It must be edible for Misao called it a "snack"' Aoshi thought to himself. 'It looks good, smells good, it's called a snack so it must be food.' He reasoned.

Misao took a big bite followed by a smaller one from Aoshi.

"Hmm… this _is _good Misao-san," said after finishing his first bit. Aoshi had never tasted anything other than Japanese food (an: a lie) so this was a new taste for him. Something he should add to his list of Really Really Really Great Food That I, Shimonori Aoshi, Would Recommend For Other People.

Misao started walking down the road, all Aoshi could do was follow. So he did. They walked side by side down the road eating their hotuk until finally that really small pancake goody was all gone.

Aoshi finished first which was amazing because of the huge bites Misao took and the really small ones he took. Maybe he chewed, swallowed, and bit faster than Misao?

"Where are we going now?" Aoshi asked after a while of walking around that lead them nowhere. Aoshi does not like walking nowhere. He either walked somewhere or didn't walk at all. (an: ahgg! That's me!)

"Hmm… I don't know Aoshi-san. Anywhere we want." She answered him back. "I know, let's go to that new garden. I hear that it's beautiful."

Aoshi scratched the hairs on his chin for a nanosecond before he considered if he wanted to go. "Okay Misao-san. I, too, hear that it has the most exquisite flowers in all of Kyoto."

'If Misao wants to go, then I, too, want to go!'

"Yes!" Misao exclaimed. She brushed off the crumbs on her hands, (maybe that's where all her hotuk went) bragged Aoshi's hand and went on her way to the garden.

"Okon says that it is a beautiful garden, so does Gramps. Where did you hear it from?"

"Around…"

That seemed all the answer Misao was expecting, maybe that's all she ever got from him because she didn't bother to fully register it in her brain. Well, there was a pretty dog walking by that looked like it needed some attention.

Misao was walking down to the garden, with her arm linked with Aoshi's.

Misao.

Arm.

Linked.

Aoshi.

She quickly removed her arm from where it was entwined with his arm. It's not that she didn't like the warmth that came from his body being so close. It's just that she realized that it was a good thing to be doing. Aoshi might not like it.

But he did like the closeness. He liked the perfume he smelt on Misao. Wait! Perfume? On his- eh… on Misao? Misao never wore perfume! Why would she be wearing some today? Why would she be wearing some at all? Well, it's not like he didn't like the perfume on her, he actually loved it on her.

They walked on to the garden in a companionable distance. Not too far and no too close. This was not what either of them wanted at that moment or any moment at all.

"Aoshi-san, what is your favorite flower?"

"I don't have a favorite flower." He noticed a disappointed look on Misao's usually amusement filled face. 'Why is she disappointed?' "All flowers are beautiful, so why chose one that you think deserves more affection if that's true?"

"I agree Aoshi-san. I like all flowers!" This coming from a girl that thinks weeds are the most adorable plant ever seen. Well, to each his own. Right?

Aoshi's hand twitched. It wanted soo much to hold Misao's. Why can't he? 'She didn't pull her arm out of mine. Why would she do that? Does she only like me as a friend? Nothing more?'

The scents of roses and all other assortments of flowers is heavy in the late afternoon air.

"Here we are Aoshi-san!"

* * *

AN: Wow! Out so soon! And longer than usual! 


	7. My Rose is a Dandelion?

Chapter 7

Aoshi's hand twitched again but not for the same reason. The place where they're at... the place... isn't for people like them. 'Does Misao know what this place is?' Aoshi wondered.  
  
He looked into the garden, past all the lovely flowers to the patrons that most likely frequented it. They people were all in pairs, maybe there was a group of four but they never stayed together long. Dispersing into the normal twos. The pairs consisted of a man and woman. This was a popular dating site for young couples. How would Aoshi know? He has to stay on top of things. Okon talked a lot about it, of taking Kenshin's master, Hiko- san, to it. It's all talk though.  
  
But why would Misao take him here? Does she know what it means?  
  
"Uh, Misao-san," Aoshi spoke up.  
  
"Not now Aoshi-san!" Misao interrupted. "Come on, let's go for a little walk."  
  
Aoshi noticed a faint blush on her face. Maybe she knows what this place means but she shouldn't have invited him. It should have been him to invite her.  
  
'If we're already here on our first "date", then we are taking this too fast. We aren't even dating! Maybe Misao doesn't know what this place means.' Aoshi tried to puzzle out his predicament. He went inside with Misao, but had his mind elsewhere.  
  
Misao took him over to roses. She looked out over the rows of flowers. "Aoshi-san, aren't these flowers beautiful?"  
  
"Yes, they are." Aoshi said that just to say something. 'They're just flowers!' He followed her gaze over to some yellow roses; her gaze lingered longer on those than on any of the others. 'Didn't Misao say once that her favorite color is yellow?'  
  
Aoshi walked smoothly over to the yellow roses, she shouldn't know what he's going to do before he does. Upon reaching the roses he made up his mind to get one, one wouldn't be noticed missing. With a quickly slice of a small dagger he cleanly cut off the biggest, yellowiest rose he could find. He held it out for a surprised Misao who took it.  
  
"Thank you Aoshi-san! My favorite flower," she told him cradling it close to her heart "is this one."  
  
"Uh, your welcome Misao-san."  
  
They continued walking, a little more of the ice chipping away, deeper into the maze of flowers. They stopped every once in a while to take in the scenery.  
  
"This flower doesn't have much of a scent," she informed Aoshi who was pulling a flower in to smell it. "It is a beautiful flower though, so it's here." She held on more tightly to her yellow rose when she said it. They continued walking until they came to a lone bench hidden amongst the flowers. Misao sat down on the bench first. Aoshi didn't know if he should sit or stand or say something. He has never been a social guy, that meaning he has never gone to anything other than something for business. He's never gone on a date before.  
  
"Sit down Aoshi-san," that solves that. "We've been walking for a long time now. Aren't your feet a little sore?"  
  
Aoshi repressed the response he had. Telling Misao that he, they, have walked more than that in less time was neither romantic nor necessary. Romantic? What does he, know about romance? And necessary, it would have more than likely ticked Misao off.  
  
He sat down a little ways away from her. How were they to proceed? Would they? Why had Misao dragged him into this? Things were much simpler when she was only a kid. When he and the rest of the Oniwanbanshu could sneak away from her in the night, if she stumbled on them they could easily tell her to go back to bed.  
  
"Aoshi-san."  
  
"Yes Misao-san?"  
  
"What is your favorite flower? We've been walking through all of these different types of flowers and you never once said that one was better than another." She was starring into her yellow rose. "Do you like flowers? Do you like anything?"  
  
Aoshi grew a little uncomfortable, how was he supposed to answer that? He doesn't like flowers, never really paid any mind to them. He does like things; he likes practicing with his kodachis. He likes her, but he could hardly go and say any of those things to her.  
  
"I do like things Misao-san, and I don't prefer some things over others. A rose by any other name is still a rose."  
  
"Oh," Misao put a little distance between herself and the rose that was like any other rose. "It's getting late, I have to help prepare dinner. We should go." Misao stood up abruptly, dangling the rose carelessly in her loose hand.

* * *

A/N: Oh NO! I was just gonna make this all happy and gay but then the ending just slipped out of control!


	8. A Glint in the Shadows

Chapter 8  
  
'Oh kami-sama! What have I done now?' Aoshi berated himself. He could tell that Misao wasn't happy; she was usually so cheerful that you'd know instantly when she was ticked. Something not many people could do.  
  
Aoshi stood up quickly to catch her before she got too far away. "Uh... Misao-san?"  
  
"Hmm?" She asked back with a sarcastic sweetness.  
  
"I think they weren't planning on making a big meal. Just a little snack, nothing they can't do by themselves."  
  
Misao sighed then turned quickly on the heel of her foot. Aoshi was a little surprised but caught up to her. They walked awkwardly out of the garden, Aoshi walking behind her like an obedient lapdog. They aroused a couple of stares but they didn't notice. Aoshi was intensely working through his mind what had happened to get Misao irritated, possibly even truly angry. Misao was just worried about hastily getting away from that place.  
  
When they reached the entrance Misao was unsure of which way to go, which bought some time for Aoshi to defend himself.  
  
"Misao-san," he proposed meekly, "the flower I like most... it's carnation. My favorite flower is a carnation."  
  
There was a long pause. She started walking slowly away. When Aoshi didn't follow her she motioned with her hands for him to follow. Quickly catching up to her he pondered her change of mind. She silent. Her silence making him uncomfortable until he continued what he started outside the gardens.  
  
He stuck his hands into his coat pockets, shrugging off the uncomfortable feeling. "I heard that they're easy to grow. I decided on my spare time to grow some. It was easy. Real easy. I took pride in bringing to bloom such beautiful flowers. Then it started raining nonstop. Day in. Day out. It grew depressing. I knew all that rain wasn't good for them, and then one day it all stopped. When I went outside to check on them they were dead." He had a sort of far away look to his impassive blue eyes.  
  
A lady shoved her wares into a man standing by Misao. To avoid getting dragged into buying something the man jumped backwards, knocking into Misao.  
  
"I'm sorry Miss," he flashed a warm smile at her. Then he was off doing his own business and leaving Misao to do hers.  
  
Misao glanced back sympathetically at Aoshi after watching the guy leave. Aoshi just starred blankly, or was it hurtfully, at the passing buildings.  
  
"I'm sorry Aoshi-san."  
  
Aoshi removed his hands from his pockets and turned his cool blue as at Misao. They stood starring, having stopped walking of course, at each other. Nothing passing through their minds but the others face. Then their eyes pulled apart and they continued walking.  
  
"Oh! No need to be sorry! They were just flowers," Aoshi said rather lamely after walking jumpstarted his mind. By the way he was talking about the flowers one could tell they were special to him.  
  
The warm evening that they had shared together was becoming a cool starry night. The sun was setting behind the horizon and the street was becoming less crowded by the second. Store workers putting their goods away for another day. A-last-minute patron hurrying out of the darkness that is soon to arrive speckled the streets.  
  
Misao led them into a dark alley for privacy. Barrels and the feeling of decay plagued the alley. They stopped in the middle of the alley. Misao faced Aoshi with determination flaring off her ki.  
  
She squared her shoulders. "Aoshi-san! I can't keep pretending that all I want out of you is friendship! I want more! I need more! I'm not the kid that you once knew! You have to understand that."  
  
They felt it before it came. Half trained thieves cannot sneak up on fully trained ninjas no matter how emotionally deprived they feel.  
  
Misao jumped to the side, dodging the dagger that was thrown at her. Her own shuriken flying from her hands before the enemy's reached the vacant space where her body had been.  
  
"Ah!" Her aim must have been true for a second after the scream a body thumped to the ground at the end of the alley.  
  
Misao ran over to the body and checked him out. "He's still breathing. Just dazed for right now, he won't die. He is just an ordinary thief."  
  
"That was amazing."  
  
"Huh?" Misao turned around to see a scary look on Aoshi's face. Or maybe it was like that because of the lighting. Dim lights can do that you know. She laughed nervously. "Aoshi-san?"  
  
The lecherous look faded to a better one. He looked proudly at her. "I have seen you practice before but it was never like that."  
  
Misao blushed deeply, now grateful for the fading light. "Thank you! I never knew you thought that! I always thought that you thought that I was clumsy!"  
  
Aoshi standing over a fallen barrel and Misao kneeling over a dead looking body was an odd sight to see on a night such as this. Especially if you didn't know them. But more so if the man was a comrade of yours and the girl called you Gramps.  
  
That is exactly what Okina saw as he ran into that alley.

* * *

AN: A little more serious than I had intended for this fic. 


	9. Rain and Mud

Chapter 9  
  
A warm night turned into a cold drizzle as Okina, Aoshi and Misao starred at one another. The thief lay crumpled to the pooling gravel. Okina slowly shook his head clearing all the ghastly things his mind conjured. "I'm afraid to ask but I must know," he whispered to himself. Then, out loud for them to hear, "What are you two doing out here?"  
  
Misao nervously put her hand behind her head and put on a fake mask of pure innocents. Okina looked to Aoshi for answers but found him studying the ground intensely. Again Okina shook his head but this time in disappointment.  
  
"I would have thought better of you, Misao. As the new Okashira you can't be fooling around. And you Aoshi! As the former Okashira I thought you would guide Misao down the right path. Now, I'm going to back out slowly and return to the Aoyia. I suggest you turn that body over to the proper authorities and go back to me with an excuse." He finished at the mouth of the alley, disappearing into the rain as fast as he showed up.  
  
Aoshi and Misao stayed rooted to where they where, becoming drenched from their clothes to their marrow. Neither one of them had thought of bringing an umbrella, or a raincoat.  
  
The downpour of rain caused huge puddles to form in the alley. Some of the barrels started to float. The barrels drifted around bumping into Aoshi and Misao as they did so.  
  
"Misao-san," Aoshi managed trough his chattering teeth, "I think we should leave. It's raining hard."  
  
"Okay," she muttered, not quite shivering as much as Aoshi. She picked up the half submerged body of the thief who was surprisingly not heavy, threw him over her small shoulders and wadded through the water over to Aoshi.  
  
The water actually wasn't deep, deep enough to drown some one in if one where to try hard enough. Maybe. But it was only up to Misao's ankles, which is quite deep for the short amount of time it had been raining but the rain was still, thundering down now in larger torrents than when Okina was still with them.  
  
Aoshi glided over to Misao and reached out for the unconscious thief. "Ah, Misao-san, let me take the thief."  
  
Gladly she handed him over. Her shoulders couldn't carry someone. Maybe half of some one but not a whole someone. Maybe even some of one. "Thank you Aoshi-san! Let's go to the police station, I don't think leaving him here would be a wise decision. Come on, let's go."  
  
Slinging the thief over his shoulder, Aoshi followed Misao out of the gloomy and thoroughly soaked alley. Misao ran under an awning of the buildings in an attempt to not get any wetter than she already was. Aoshi sort of skipped an awning or two then went to one, skipped an awning or two then went to one. He was already soaked so why did it matter?  
  
Misao was walking briskly in between some awnings when her feet slipped out from under her. She flew high above the ground for a second than came crashing down to earth landing, unfortunately for her and Aoshi, in a murky puddle. The water splashed up into Aoshi's eyes, blinding him.  
  
He screamed. She screamed.  
  
The mud in his eyes caused him a slight maddening of the mind to the point where he almost dropped the unconscious body, rubbed some of the muddy water on his eyes further into his eyes, then waving his arms about his head like a lunatic. Walking forward a little he slipped into the same puddle that had previously attacked Misao. He too was taken by the same fate as she. His body graced the midnight sky. The murky puddle had two visitors. They lay, starring up at the blurry stars until a comet fell on them but it wasn't a comet. It was the thief's body that had trailed behind Aoshi, stuck on his broad shoulders, and then flew into the air when Aoshi had. But it had been thrown higher and longer into the air.  
  
Aoshi and Misao lay there, with the body toppled over them.  
  
"Don't be surprised when this guy starts stalking us Aoshi-san," Misao muttered darkly. She was lying in a pool of muddy water. She shoved the body off of herself. Stiffly she stood up, mud covered her backside and a few twigs decorated her ponytail. When she was fully erect she cracked her fingers, then put one hand on her chin and the other on the backside of her head. Then she twisted her head with her hands and cracked it. Then came her back. She twisted around where she stood and cracked it. A loud gruesome crack exploded forth, echoing across the empty and still pouring rain market place.  
  
"That! That I don't think is healthy Misao-san!" Aoshi exclaimed as he tossed aside the thief's body. Misao held out a hand but Aoshi brushed it aside. He stood up pulling the body with him. He put it on his shoulders and awkwardly continued walking to the police station.  
  
Misao walked slowly over to him, carefully avoiding the pools. "Where is the police station?"  
  
"Don't worry, I know where it is," he grunted.  
  
They trudged miserable, wet, and tired on to the police station. A couple of times Misao nearly fell over but her quick reflex and not wanting any more mud caked onto herself saved her.  
  
Finally Aoshi stopped walking and announced: "We're here! Let's hurry inside!"  
  
They made it safely inside the police station. As they walked to the front desk they trailed mud into the place. "Excuse me!" Misao said looking around for the policemen. "Hello? Is anybody here?" They look around the room disappointed.  
  
"I'm here!"  
  
A man came running out from a backroom, buttoning up his foreign styled uniform. He looked a little disheveled and smelled of sake.  
  
"What can I do for you?"  
  
Aoshi looked a little like he thought that would be a mistake to leave the thief with the policeman but his desire to be clean outweighed anything else. "We caught this thief," he told him throwing the still unconscious body onto a desk. "And now we're leaving."  
  
"Alright then," the policeman agreed staggering over to the body. "I'll just lock 'em up then."  
  
Aoshi and Misao left the police station when they saw that the drunken police officer wasn't incompetent. 


	10. Thunder and a Little Pink Bow

Chapter 10  
  
They walked silently returning to the Aoyia, the rain lifting up a little in its relentless downpour. It wasn't all that silent; their trek to the Aoyai, Aoshi sneezed relentlessly all the way back as if he had a cold or something. Both of their noses dripped like the roofs of the buildings they passed.  
  
When they entered the Aoyia the met silence. No lights where on at this time of night, but as they crept along the hallways they saw light flooding out of the cracks from Okina's room.  
  
They stood unmoving in front on his room deciding how, in there, their fate lay. Water slid off their slick garments to condense at their feet. Misao slide open the rice paper door and went to sit in front of Okina.  
  
'It'll be a cold day in Hell if I back down from an old man!' Slowly Aoshi followed, he knelt down beside Misao. Okina knelt down with a cup filled with tea in his hand.  
  
Okina's eyes remained closed but that didn't stop him from talking, "So, can one of you tell me the truth?"  
  
She nodded in acquiesce. "It all started when I..."  
  
Misao's story   
  
Misao is wandering around the streets of Kyoto. The sky is baby blue and the sun is... a... really REALLY bright. Misao is looking for a soba stand that'll feed her on their love and charity. She had, previously that day, given all of her money to a local orphanage and had no money to buy herself lunch. Not wanting to go eat at the Aoyai that day, or any other day, or wanting the others to know of her dilemma she resorted to eating only breakfast and dinner. Or, if the bushed permitted, berries. That isn't poisonous of course.  
  
Then a brilliant idea came to mind of the equally brilliant mind of the Okashira one day as she picked berries.!  
  
"I'll join a circus!" Shouted the beautiful Misao pointing her finger heavenward for more emphasis. As she did so a flock of doves flew from the trees that surrounded the Beauty.  
  
The Magnificent Woman searched all day and all night, except at breakfast, dinner, when she visited the orphanage she had given all her money to, when she went shopping, and did other... chores.  
  
Then one day Misao-sama found a circus worthy of her grandeur. Unworthily she approached the boss and asked most humbly for a job to pay for her lunch.  
  
The mean old bat replied, "I don't want you in my circus! Get lost!" He yelled and spat in her face. She cried out in horror so he slapped her in her face!  
  
Ahem!  
  
Misao opened her eyes from her vivid recreation that was going to lead to why they where in the situation they where in when Okina found them. She looked up to see the angry stare of Okina and the dubious concern in Aoshi's.  
  
Okina turned to Aoshi as if he were the only one with him, "As I was saying... Can you tell me the truth Aoshi-san?"  
  
Aoshi nodded his grave head and opened his mouth to speak... but all that came out was a very wet sneeze. "Achoo!"  
  
"God bless you," Okina said stiffly sipping some more of his tea.  
  
Outside the storm had worsened, the wind had picked up and the people who could predict the weather locked themselves safely away.  
  
Aoshi opened his mouth once more, "Achoo! Achoo!"  
  
"God bless you," Okina offered once more.  
  
"Thank you," Aoshi whipped his nose with his handkerchief, which he swiftly hid away in a secret compartment in his sleeve. Aoshi was going to continue with his story but...  
  
"Ah! Haaaa! AH!" Misao screamed as the window shuttered banged open with a frightful vengeance. She held up a hand to calm her wildly beating heart, gasping for breath. The other held in Aoshi's arm in a death grip.  
  
Thunder growled through the open window rattling the loose boards. Lightning shot forth from the window string Okina.  
  
"Ah! Haaaa! Aaaah!" Misao screamed as Okina slumped forward into his lap, his singed hair sticking out of his head. The pink bow that accompanied his hair on his chin fell delicately to the floor.  
  
"Oki- ACHOO!" Aoshi sneezed uncontrollably as he tried to aid the old man.  
  
"Achoo! Achoo!"  
  
Misao got to him first, "Gramps! Gramps are you all right? Gramps?!"  
  
She poked his shoulder but got no response from him. He moved him in an upright position to find that his eyes had rolled to the back of his head, only the whites and a few veins could be seen, and his face was burnt like the food Kaoru made them.  
  
"Achoo!"  
  
"Aoshi-san! Shizuka ni shinasai!" She yelled angrily at the sneezing ex- Okashira also attempting to help Okina. "Gramps! Are you okay?"  
  
"Answer me!" Misao cried shaking Okina's fried form. "Are you all right?"  
  
"Misao!" Aoshi yelled managing not to sneeze. "Stop shaking him and he'll be all right!" Aoshi put a restraining hand on Misao's and she stopped.  
  
"I will Aoshi-san," she laid Okina back on the floor and backed away. "What should we do with him?"  
  
"Do with whom?"  
  
BOOM!  
  
"Aaah! Aaaaaaaaaaah!"  
  
Misao screamed for the third time that night as Okina sat upright and asked her a simple question.  
  
BOOM!  
  
She clutched both of her hands to steady her rapidly thrashing heart. Lightning flashed in the window, lighting up Misao's deadly face.  
  
"Don't. Ever. Do. That. To. Me. Again!" Lightning flashed again for emphasis on her blatant threat.  
  
Aoshi rushed over to Okina's side to assist him but Okina waved him impatiently away.  
  
Okina whipped the spilt tea off him clothes with distaste. The teacup had rolled away during his electrocution and is now resting by the wall.  
  
He put rested his hand on his chin and felt something not quite right. He reached over to a dresser and pulled out a mirror from inside one of its many drawers. Holding it up to his face to show his chin he gasped in shock as he saw his wilted goatee... and no pink bow.  
  
"Wha? What happened?" Okina asked shakily as he fingered his not white but gray goatee. His wobbly hands dropped the mirror, the glass shattered as it fit the hard floor, no butt cushion to reduce the impact.  
  
"NOOOOO!"  
  
The world broke apart... a cold day indeed.

* * *

AN: Should I stop while I'm ahead? If you want more I'll gladly write more. (I have a lot planned for this fic) Thunderstorms aren't uncommon in fanfictions but this thunderstorm is not for _those_ reasons so (I think) it's okay. Right?


	11. Fancy Meeting You Here

Chapter 11  
  
Misao and Aoshi ran for their lives out of Okina's room. They, already knowing all to well how psychotic he could get about his pink bow, tumbled out of the room on top of one another. Aoshi slammed the shoji shut on Okina's ravenous howls of pain.

After regaining their breath they walked down the hall to their rooms, which were on opposite sides of the next hallway.  
  
Their separation to their ends of the hallway came all too soon for the ninjas. Facing each other in their damp clothes they couldn't think of anything to say to break their gazes off the others face. They didn't want to leave.  
  
"Achoo!" Aoshi sneezed into the night, signaling an end to their quiet conversation. "Achoo!"  
  
Misao looked her miserably sick face up to Aoshi's equally miserably sick face. "God bless you, Aoshi-san." She sniffed, looking for a handkerchief but found non.  
  
Aoshi blew his sobbing nose into his, looked at it, looked at Misao, then stuffed it back up his sleeve.  
  
"I see we are both sick."  
  
Deafening silence.  
  
"But... Aoshi-san, you are more sick than I am." Misao stated perking up. "I'll get you some medicine. Now off to bed! Can't have you contaminating every one else with your bug now can we?"  
  
"But..." Aoshi starred wide-eyed at the commanding-ness of Misao's voice.  
  
Misao tapped her foot impatiently. Then when Aoshi still stood before her, "Do what your Okashira says!"  
  
He nodded once and left for his room, Misao trailing behind. Sliding the shoji open he stepped inside then turned to face a disgruntled Misao with a questioning look to his cool blue eyes.  
  
"Now that I now that you're safely inside your room, and you look to be heading to your bed," she said the last part with forewarning emphasis, "I'll go get the medicine."  
  
She looked around cautiously, finding that they are still alone she leaned over to Aoshi and whispered, "uh, Aoshi-san, where is the medicine cabinet?"  
  
An exasperated Aoshi ROLLED his eyes, although it was too dark to see, and tried to leave his room but Misao poked a finger to his chest and pushed back.  
  
"Oh no you don't! You are sick so you need to rest, leave everything to me. I'll just find the medicine if you won't tell me. But, it would be nice if you told me." She made a shooing motion with her hands and turned and left. "Just sit back, relax! I'll be back shortly," she shot over her shoulder.  
  
As she disappeared down the hall the shoji to Aoshi's room snapped shut. He slinked to his bed to sit down as instructed. He smiled into the dark of his room - he hadn't bothered to turn on any lights - remembering the fire that flared in Misao's eyes. He sat down as if in meditation.

* * *

Misao reached the small storage room adjacent to the Aoyai hopping that it had what she required for the both of them, it was still pouring rain outside so she couldn't go to the shed that's out there. The one inside was a lot smaller, a fewer variety, and rarely used due to those factors.  
  
The first thing she did was search the top shelves because that's where everything, in the end is. And, the last place usually looked.  
  
She stepped on a rocking barrel and reached up. She grabbed a small box of... something. Squinting hard Misao couldn't figure out what the writing on the box said. She threw it on the floor and reached again. She pulled out a small can and tried to read it. No luck. She threw it on the floor and tried again. She did this many more times until she remembered something some one very wise once told her.  
  
"'Misao-chan, you don't have, and will never ever be able to see in the dark!' " She said out loud recounting those words.  
  
She got down off the barrel. She got a lantern and had it all lit up for the continuation of the search. She noticed the small can and box on the floor and picked them up. She returned the can to the shelf but read the small box.  
  
'For colds, sniffles and head aches'  
  
"Yeah! Now back to Aoshi!" Misao snuffed out the lantern and headed back to Aoshi's room. She clutched the small medicine box closely to her heart happy that for once she could do something nice for Aoshi. "After all the nice things that Aoshi-san has done for me..." Misao whispered into the dark hallways.  
  
She reached his room but was a little hesitant to walk right in. The room didn't look to have any lights on it in. Maybe Aoshi is asleep? She pressed her ear to the rice paper door to listen in. But it's as quiet as the rest of the rooms. Except for Okina's, silent sobs can still be heard emanating from it.  
  
Gathering the abundance of courage at her disposal Misao slid open the door. "Aoshi-san... Aoshi-san...." She called listlessly like a ghost into his room.  
  
The form of Aoshi could dimly be seen at the edge of her limited sight. As Misao approached him she called out again, "Aoshi-san... Aoshi-san? Aoshi- san..? Are you meditating?" She demanded angrily as the form of his posture could be seen on a much closer inspection.  
  
A hand resting on his shoulder would've woken him out of any trance, but it didn't. Misao took another measure. With the hand resting on Aoshi's shoulder she hook it a little. Causing his head to role back.  
  
On a much closer inspection Misao spotted some drool, _DROOL_, on Aoshi's chin.  
  
Chiding softly to herself she removed her hand.  
  
"I guess cold medicine can wait to later," she said softly getting up to leave.  
  
Aoshi opened groggy eyes to see Misao leaving.  
  
"Achoo!"  
  
"God bless you, Aoshi," Misao whispered to him thinking he was asleep.  
  
She was about to shut the shoji when, "Thank you," was whispered from Aoshi as he moved around.  
  
"Wha!" Misao almost yelled.  
  
It's kinda scary to get a response, in the dead of the night, from some one that should have been asleep.  
  
She stomped back to Aoshi and slapped him across his face for frightening her.  
  
Well, that' not exactly what she did.  
  
Aoshi turned confused, puppy dog looking eyes to Misao and quenched the beastly fury that swelled up in her heart.  
  
"Oh!" Misao covered her mouth with her hand remembering her mistake. "I'm sorry Aoshi-san! I didn't mean to leave it off! I didn't, really!" The torrent of apologies gushing out of Misao just to be waved off with a flicker of Aoshi's wrist.  
  
"It's okay... Misao," Aoshi stammered out.  
  
Misao almost cried! Almost being the key word. A huge smile cut her face in half. "O-okay... Aoshi," she said his name as if it were foreign on her tongue.  
  
She threw the medicine at him and he caught it with the same hand.

"I'll see you in a couple of hours then... Aoshi."  
  
Misao said his name alone with more confidence then before. She left his room and floated back to hers. She felt so happy, almost as if she was walking on clouds.

* * *

AN: If you don't understand the ending then I'll understand. The suffixes at the end of people's names show status. If you don't use the proper suffix, or non at all, than two things could be taking place. 1.You are familiar with the person (i.e. a close friend) or they asked you not to use one. 2.You are being rude. (that's why Misao apologies)

That was the ending that I had in mind. Sweet, isn't it? But I've decided to write more.

Okay I have to say this The Last Samurai said that he/she didn't understand the last chapter... I'm soo proud of myself! But do I really want that? Yes and no, if you want a plot in each chapter then tell me, I usually write a chapter with one thought in my mind. In this one I was thinking "Misao finds/gets for medicine Aoshi" So I wrote from that and the ending that I had in mind worked in perfectly. I think


	12. What's to breathe in Space?

**Chapter 12**

Misao slumped onto her futon, her head hurting like crazy and the constant slapping of the rain against her bedroom did not help. She didn't want to, but she got up and walked to her dresser. Pulling her shirt over her head, causing more pain than she wanted, to take it off.  
  
Running around in the rain had taken its toll on her as it did Aoshi. Growing inside of her head was a pain worse than... losing her Aoshi.

Maybe not _that_ bad, but it was close.  
  
Carefully she slipped her nightgown over her head, no pain necessary. Then she slipped into her bed, falling asleep before she hit the pillow.

* * *

The grating sound of the door sliding open sent daggers into Misao's brain. She blinked a couple of times to erase the sleep from them. Her hand went to her head, clutching it together to keep it from tearing itself apart.  
  
"Misao... Misao?" Some one was shaking her gently. But never so gently as to not cause pain for poor Misao.  
  
"Agh!" She yelled bating whomever it was away giving herself more pain in the process. "Leave me alone!" She protectively enfolded her head in her arms blocking it out. She lay still on her bed.  
  
Feet shuffled around on the floor, the shoji opened then closed.  
  
She lifted head up to find that it was still dark outside. Must be around four in the morning. Who ever woke her up was going to pay!  
  
But her head _is_ feeling better than last night, so maybe they wouldn't have to pay too much.  
  
Standing up took some effort but she made it up, just to slide back down again. She fell asleep, slumped over her blankets.

* * *

Aoshi woke up a little later than usually, the early morning sun streaming into his room from a window that out looked the rock garden. Stretching as he got up he walked over to the Window to see that Okina was sitting at the edge of the garden stroking his chin in contemplation.  
  
Aoshi dressed and went out to see the old man. His feet made no noise as the padded through the wet garden. In-between the rocks there were pools of water from last nights rain, making a weird squishing sound as he walked over them.  
  
Okina looked up, surprised to see Aoshi for many reasons. Okina indicated with a quick motion of his hands that Aoshi should take a seat next to him, which he did graciously.  
  
"I thought you would be gone by now." He stated, it was intended to neither hurtful nor pleased. "Maybe you have come to pay tribute to my..." he had a pained expression, a little fluid in his eyes.  
  
Okina changed what he was saying, "I didn't know that you were going to linger here."  
  
Aoshi felt uncomfortable sitting next to the emotional man. "I felt sick last night."  
  
"So, you not here to pay tribute to my..." again he was too tearful to continue what he was going to say. Aoshi had no clue what it was or why he was soo emotional.  
  
"To what, Okina-san?"  
  
"They buried _it_ here."  
  
What did they bury here?" He didn't want to know the answer but knew that it would be better for Okina to talk about whatever it was.  
  
"You saw it go... How? Did it? Tell me! What happened to _it_?" Okina's eyes looked desperate, maybe he was...   
  
"To what?" Aoshi was very good at feigning interest, and very good at being patient.   
  
"_It_!"  
  
But this was becoming tiring. Okina never usually rambled. Maybe he was becoming... _senile_.  
  
"Okina-san," he couldn't contain the irritation that was his voice. "What is it?"   
  
"My...."  
  
His eyes were looking beyond... beyond the rock garden, beyond the doors, beyond the walls of the Aoiya.  
  
_Senile..._  
  
"My bow..."   
  
"You buried your bow! That pink bow! Why?!"  
  
"Sit down boy!" Aoshi hadn't noticed that he jumped to his feet in his astonish. He sat down after the initial shock faded.   
  
"We didn't bother to get you, thought you would be gone. We tried to wake up Misao but she wasn't able to wake up. The girls are waiting for me outside, they have decided to take off work until... until we are able to find one that could take its place." He stood up and dusted his hands off.

"Took... off work?" _NEVER_! When he was Okashira that would _never_ have happened!   
  
"Take care of Misao while we're gone, she doesn't look well. We tried to get her to take something but that didn't work. She need it in five minutes, it's on the counter next to the teapot. Make sure she takes it."  
  
Then Okina left.  
  
_Left me to take care of Misao! She will surely die! What does I know about taking care if ill people!_  
  
Maybe he was panicking but he knew he would NOT try to wake her! Lat time he woke her he thought he had lost something very important to his manhood for good. He never wanted to experience such pain. But Misao had profusely apologized afterwards, saying so many things that he couldn't catch because of the pain.  
  
Aoshi pushed those thoughts into the dark recesses of his mind, where they belonged, never to bother him again. But unfortunately for him, he lost sight of where it was he was going and walked straight into the rice paper door, tripping and tearing it apart.  
  
He sat, flustered with it entwined about his person.  
  
Shinomori Aoshi was a lucky man. When he his folly showed, there was no one to laugh.

"I'll have to fix that later," He made a not to hide the incriminating evidence of his recklessness someplace where no one would look. He destroyed it completely. No trace of it showing, no trace of there ever being a door there showed when he was through with it.  
  
And through with it he was, for there was no trace, he could go on about his life.  
  
He found the medicine that Okina had mentioned easily enough, wishing that it had taken longer for now he would have to undertake the great pain of waking up Misao.  
  
He brewed the medicine; it was necessary to drink the medicine with something to help it slide down. Tea being something that is easy to drink was the perfect choice. He even put his most cherished herbs in it. He poured the powered medicine into one of the cups on the tray. There was one cup for him and another for Misao.  
  
Picking up the tray he headed to Misao's room, he knocked lightly on the door. There was no response.  
  
_Brace yourself Shinomori._  
  
Aoshi opened the door was shocked, almost to the point of dropping the tray and all its beautiful contents.  
  
Misao was in a very uncomfortable position. By the looks of it, she seems to have been kneeling at one point, and then she fell flat on her face. Her arms were limp around her. Her yukata not tide securely, indecently exposing a good amount of her legs.  
  
Which Aoshi did not stare at!  
  
Aoshi set the tray on a table and began to ponder how he would wake her.

* * *

A/N: First off, thank you Aikawarazu Ai for that help you gave me. Not as romantic as you might have wanted it to be but...

I really don't like the exchange between Okina and Aoshi, I was bored so that's what was created.


	13. Death to Birds and Aoshi

**Chapter 13**  
  
Aoshi sat down as he pondered his predicament. Misao is a heavy sleeper so it would take a lot to wake her up. But, if a lot meant banging his kodachis in her ear then 'a lot' was too much. She would most likely have a fit about waking up with a sword near her, much less two. And banging two things together never worked. Having tried it, Aoshi thought nothing could wake Misao up besides screaming in her ear, but that would lead to other, bigger problems.   
  
Firstly, he should try something that could not be easily blamed on him, but there was a problem with that. He was the only one home, and being the only one home the blame would fall on him. Something that was unimaginably un-enjoyable with a cranky Misao.  
  
Maybe he should let a chicken loose in her room. With the window wide open of course! But then he would be blamed for letting the chicken in, although it had –obviously- came in through her window. But then, the unfortunate chicken would be most likely stripped of all its feathers and unable to be returned to the chicken vendor.   
  
That would be a problem. Birds are a no go.  
  
Maybe a 'leak' in the ceiling would wake her up. But how could he, Shinomori Aoshi the most un-handyman of them all ever do something like that? Much less –fix- it after it became broken. A hole in the roof is a no go.  
  
Food! That's the answer to everything. He would make something and stick it under her nose! She'll come to in a matter of seconds! But she might complain. Complain about how he was trying to make her fat. She did that before when he offered her a dumpling.   
  
Why any one would turn down an offer of a dumpling was beyond Aoshi.  
  
Then he thought of the most brilliant idea of all. It was a combination of all of those ideas. It was something that will work, and can't be blamed on him if gone awry.   
  
Aoshi smirked. His smirk was big. It was a gloating type of smirk, one that usually accompanies truly grand ideas. The type that amazes you. The type that only a genius would have. Then you start to wonder...  
  
He started making plans, and arrangements, and more plans inside his head. First, he would have to open the window like in the chicken idea, but unlike with the chicken idea this one does not involve a –real- bird.   
  
Aoshi then quietly, lest his plans be foiled and he be caught by Misao in her room, he tiptoed out of the room, his ninja stealth kicking in. He crept down the kitchen where his second set of plans would start.  
  
­­­­­­­­­­

* * *

Misao woke up from the sound of some birds chirping on the roof of another building. She felt as though she was, or had been watched by some one, she shrugged it off as she rubbed the last of the sleep out of her eyes. She assessed her room with the light spilling in from the open window. She thought it odd that she opened the window, having a fear that chickens would swoop in on her during the night she always had it closed.  
  
Misao got up to close to close the window when she noticed the fresh tea; she walked over to it instead of the window. She sat down at the table and poured herself some of the tea. The aroma of it filled her nose, lulling her into a small hypnotic trance.  
  
Above her, she heard a slight tapping noise, like some was walking around on the roof. But she dismissed it when she remembered the pigeons flying across her open window just before she shut it. She brought the teacup up to her parted lips, about to take a sip of it when a large drop of water splashes her in the face.  
  
Shocked, she slid the back of her hand across her forehead and put the teacup back. She looked up to her ceiling, which happened to be the roof of the Aoiya.  
  
"Maybe we sprung a leak," Misao suggested to herself. She picked up her cup of tea, still staring up at the ceiling. A few more drops of water fell from the ceiling. she stared quizzically at the ceiling. The Aoiya rarely, if ever, gets leaks and this one looks big.   
  
Then it happened, barely giving Misao time to react. The ceiling caved in, bringing with it a ton of water that had accumulated with last night's rain. Misao flung herself to the side, the pieces of the roof and the water falling where she had just been.  
  
Misao lay on her side, praying to whatever kami that she knew of with thankfulness.   
  
Slowly the water soaked into the floor and the debris started to settle. Misao rose to her feet to cheek the damage. Then she noticed the bird feathers. Tons of them. All over her room, but the feathers didn't seem to have any birds attached to them.  
  
Then her headache came back tenfold when she saw –who- had brought this. Aoshi. He lay on his back in the middle of the mess. There are feathers all over him but Misao can still tell that it's him.   
  
"Aoshi!" She yelled, stamping her foot on the floor. "What the –hell- do you think you are doing?"  
  
He looked up at her, some feathers falling out of his hair. He had terror written all over his face.

* * *

AN: Yeah, I know it's short. I didn't know what to do and Aoshi being in trouble seemed to be the best idea.


	14. A Little Damage Goes a Long Way!

**WARNING:**_ I was being stupid... er I hope you don't catch what I put in here... _

* * *

**Chapter 14 **

Aoshi stared up into eyes glowing with righteous fury. Misao had a right to be angry with him seeing as he broke the roof that was over her room causing a ton of wood splintering the room, and a ton of feathers littered her floor. On top of that she might still be feeling ill. Aoshi started praying to all of the gods that he knew of until she yelled out his name. When he heard her shout his name he knew it was hopeless. No god could save him from her wrath.

"Aoshi, what have you done to my room?" Misao stomped over to him, carefully avoiding the huge pieces of ceiling and clumps of sticky feathers to get to him. "ARG!"

With that Aoshi felt as though lightning would shot out from the Heavens to singe him to his core. Or, in other words: Shinomori Aoshi cowered away from one Makimachi Misao, weasel girl.

Misao took a deep breath closing her eyes to block out the image of her room; she raised her hands to stop any protests that Aoshi would through her way, "Now, Aoshi-sama, I _may_ be able to forgive you if you do something for me. But, if it's not done exactly as I say, as precisely as my instructions give, I may just have to hurt you-" Aoshi almost fainted at this, Misao can have the wildest imagination at times and he feared just what she might do with it.

"Now, the first thing to do is to get me out of this room," Misao went on, she hadn't seen Aoshi's face go sickly pale. "You'll then have to find me a comfortable place to sit down before I open my eyes and then you'll have to find me some food! I'm soo hungry!" Misao had placed her hand over her stomach, hunching over as if the pain was eating away at her.

She opened one eye to see whether Aoshi was following her orders, but she just saw him in the exact position as before. "Snap to it Shinomori! I'm not feeling any better!" She closed her eye again.

Misao heard Aoshi scrambling up slipping over the watery wood. Misao felt the feathers stir around her as Aoshi ran behind her, his trench coat stirring the air around her so that her spine tingled, to sweep her up in his arms.

Misao almost smiled, almost laughed at he scuttle to obey her.

Misao felt giddy with anticipation. Never in all of her wildest dreaming had she ever thought or imagined that her Aoshi-sama would follow her orders as closely as she followed his. She knew she could trust him with her life, and she knew that what ever he did would be okay. And besides, she wasn't angry with him. It was all fake. Yell at someone enough and they'll feel guilty. Misao had to suppress a giggle before her Aoshi-sama figured it out.

His feet touched softly onto the Aoiya floor incase Misao did not like the sound of feet pounding. Aoshi ran to the room that he knew to be the most comfortable in the entire restaurant. He slides the rice door open as quietly as it would go then hopped into the room to place Misao on the immaculately folded futon in the corner of the room.

"Stay right here Misao, I'll go make some breakfast," Aoshi said in a small voice know that she never went unarmed even to sleep. Aoshi left Misao alone in the room after that.

Peeping open one eye Misao couldn't help to gasp in shock. Never in her wildest dreams had she thought that she would ever order Aoshi around but never had the thought cross her mind that he would willingly bring her to his own private bedroom! Misao almost fainted from elation!

In the kitchen Aoshi was putting his culinary skills to the test... well, the little that he had since he had never had the pleasure of cooking for himself or anybody else. Aoshi just wanted to make something good for Misao, hoping that he did not burn down the Aoiya in the process.

Aoshi brought up the best flavor of tea the Aoiya had and also brought up a bowl of rice and miso soup to Misao. He was very ashamed to say that he couldn't cook anything else, it being the first time he had ever been in the kitchen with the intents to actually cook something. But at least its edible, ne?

Aoshi stopped in the middle of the room, unsure how to proceed to the demon –ahem- Misao so he set the tray down on a table nearest him then turned back to Misao. She looked to be meditating; it was the first time he had ever seen her quiet without being asleep.

Warily proceeding to Misao Aoshi thought about how peace she looked and wondered if he, too, looked peaceful when he meditated. Aoshi continued forward noticing that Misao looked quite beautiful when she was sitting calmly as she was now.

Before Aoshi could reaction Misao had sprung up from where she had been so serenely sitting to wrap her arms around Aoshi which caused him to go off balance and with her swinging and jumping around with all of her energy they fell to the floor.

Aoshi was petrified at the horror that Misao might unleash upon him.

Misao ended up on top pinning Aoshi to the ground. "OH! AOSHI-SAMA!" Misao tightened her grip on Aoshi's head, giving him the hardest hug that she had ever done to anyone. Harder than Okina's hug when she arrived home after such a long time with Himura. "I'M SOO HAPPY!"

Misao yelled some more words, most unintelligible to Aoshi whose face was bright red from the position that Misao was hugging him in. She was scrunched up on his chest, her legs where to either side of him, and her chest... was wrapped just like her arms. Around his head. - Well, not around because that would be physically impossible, but you get the picture. –

Aoshi started suffocating. Misao could scream and yell for hours without actually needing to breathe. Aoshi was sorry that he was not human and could live without breathing but sadly he could not. And, sadly, he started suffocating.

After a while Misao started tiring of screaming unintelligible things so she stopped. She peeled herself off of Aoshi to see that his normal pallor was tinged with blue. Tinged? Tinged is an understatement though. Aoshi's whole face was bluish purple from lack of oxygen. Misao's hands flew to her check as she screamed in true terror that her Aoshi could die.

She flew once again to him, one hand went under his nose to feel for air but none come out, her ear went to his chest to check for signs of his heart's movement but all was still in Aoshiville.

Screaming once again Misao rushed to give him CPR. Her red lips ringed his blue ones, her fingers slid over his nose to pinch them closed. Misao took a deep breath then blew into Aoshi's mouth, as she did this she tilted her head to check for signs that it reached Aoshi's lungs. She didn't see any movement from his chest. Misao tried once more breathing into Aoshi but his chest didn't rise.

Tears started streaming down Misao's eyes because she could not save the one dearest to her. Misao thought harder... what could she do?

"There... might be something stopping him from receiving the air! Something could be blocking it! His tongue?" Misao's thoughts raced a mile a minute to work through this problem.

Misao tilted back Aoshi's head a fraction then pulled down his chin to open his mouth. His tongue wasn't what was blocking him from breathing, "he must have swallowed something, he could be choking!"

Misao with her index and middle fingers reached inside of Shinomori Aoshi. She reached as far in as she could, reached down into his throat as far as her short fingers could reach. Her fingers twisted around searching, feeling, groping for anything inside of the small channel. Misao pulled her fingers out, wet, sticky and most of all gross.

More tears streamed out as she realized Aoshi was going to leave her forever. In her fury she struck with all her might against Aoshi's chest causing a reaction that she did not expect to get. Aoshi gasped for air, rolling onto his side pushing Misao away. Misao stood back incase she were to accidentally kill Aoshi again. She watched him as he breathed. His signs of life brought more tears to her eyes.

Aoshi soon had his breathing under control, he stopped shaking enough o sit up but he had to lean heavily on his weakened arms. His back was to Misao, he heard moaning and sniffling from where she stood a foot or two away from him. His black hair and blue eyes turned around to meet hers but Misao's head hung low.

"Misao..."

Before the words ever left his tongue the young ninja raced out of the room leaving Aoshi alone and confused. She rain from the room with tears streaming out of her azure eyes.

"Misao! Wait!" Aoshi tried for standing up but his legs crumpled underneath him making him settle for being left alone...

* * *

Author Notes: Well… I didn't say that that it was perfect… 

And that CPR? Well, it's not perfect so don't go following what Misao did. I forgot a lot from when I had to take it and I didn't feel like flipping through my book to make sure everything is perfect.


	15. Things get a little Interesting

**Chapter 15**

Aoshi thought long and hard about his options that were small and few and growing shorter by the seconds. He had never been so confused or anxious about something even in all his years as the Okashira of the Oniwabanshu.

"_Women!_" Aoshi muttered under his breath and he pushed himself off of the floor. He would never be able to find Misao now. Sighing, he went out the door heading to the kitchen. Aoshi was thoroughly surprised to find Misao slumped against a counter but not so surprised to find that she was eating all of their supply of mochi. Aoshi decided not to bother her so he headed over to a teapot on the opposite countertop that was half full.

"Aoshi!" Misao squeaked through her mouthful of mochi. Aoshi paused what he was doing to listen. "I- I'm sorry! I messed everything up! Its just that – that- IamsonervouswhenIamaroundyouthatIcan'tdoanythingstraighteventhoughIcan'tdoanythingrightanyways!"

Misao spoke so quickly that Aoshi almost couldn't catch what she said but he understood what she was saying and thought she was silly for saying it. "Misao," she blinked rapidly trying to clear her eyes before she glanced at him, "you don't need to apologize for anything." Aoshi raised a hand to stop her form interrupting. "I can't blame you for anything that has happened."

The smile that came to Misao's face actually made Aoshi want to believe she was just another normal girl but it reminded him of something that he never wanted to forgive himself for.

Before they could mutter another word Okina burst through the kitchen doors with his hands raised for offense while crouching low. Both Aoshi and Misao stared wide-eyed at the old man whose face was rapidly turning red.

"Well, ahem!" Okina straightened up, the coloring to his face turned slightly less red as he did so. "I see that you have everything under control, I-"

Behind him a huffing and puffing Okon, who was red but not for the same reasons as Okina, came stammering into the kitchen under the load of all the groceries she was carrying. She dropped them onto the ground and most of the stuff fell on Okina's feet, he howled in pain but it didn't compare to the yell of fury that Okon emitted.

"HOW DARE YOU RUN OFF LIKE THAT AND LEAVE ME TO CARRY _ALL_ OF THE GROCERIES!" Okon had advanced on the old man while she was yelling so that by the time she was finished her pointer finger she was waving around was jabbed into his chest. Okina tried to back up but he slipped and tripped over the groceries lying on the ground. "YOU KNOW THAT AOSHI IS HERE! HE CAN HANDLE ANYTHING! YOU JUST DIDN'T WANT HELP ME CARRY ALL THIS HOME!"

Aoshi and Misao slipped out of the kitchen to the outside patio unnoticed even when the door slammed shut behind them. They both felt sorry for the old man even though he did deserve a yelling to a couple of times, just like a child needs scolding.

The smile Misao had form earlier had changed from one of happiness to one of mischievous delight. Aoshi was about to ask her what the odd look was about when she burst out laughing. She was laughing so hard that she fell to the ground, her laugh was so contagious that Aoshi couldn't help smile even though he didn't know what she thought was funny.

When Misao had quieted down a few minutes later the house was silent, Okon had stopped yelling, too.

Behind Aoshi stood the smiling Okon and Okina who were trying to look stern at the same time and failing miserably.

"Do you find something funny? Huh, Misao-chan?" The female ninja questioned, her hands on her hips and a bighearted smile sneaking on her face. She gave up when Misao went back to laughing hysterically.

Misao rolled around on the ground some more before she started gasping for breath and soon she calmed down enough for every one to hear their own thoughts.

"Okina, what brought you back so quickly?" Aoshi asked.

Okina shuffled around looking from Okon to Misao then to Aoshi, "Ah, it was nothing really. I see that now." He said the last bit as an apology to Okon.

Okon snorted in response she put her hands back on her hips, "You wouldn't think so by the way you rushed off after that guy talked to you! What? Did you misunderstand what he said thinking a girl was here you?"

A nervous chuckle escaped Okina, "No, no. But lets go inside okay Okon? We need to clean up the mess."

Okon shook her head, "You mean _you_ need to clean up that mess! My arms are tired and sore! Give a girl a break why dontcha! Ok, and that reminds me, Misao, I have something for you!"

The look on Okon's face reminded Aoshi of the look of mischief on Misao's face earlier except… dirtier.

Aoshi quickly got out of the way of Okon when she walked past him to Misao. He noticed that she was clutching a small bag in her right hand and wondered if it was what she needed to talk to Misao about. He turned to Okina to see if he knew anything about this but he just shook his head shrugging.

"Oh, uh, Aoshi, will you help me with the groceries? My old bones don't let me bend down."

Aoshi turned form the two retreating woman to nod to Okina they then headed for the kitchen.

Okon didn't have to drag Misao behind her who was fidgeting with curiosity about the mysterious bag. Okon told Misao she had a something for her but she couldn't have it until they get into the privacy of her room.

When they got to Misao's room the curious little ninja bumped into Okon who's eyes were wide like an owls. She was pointing –because what she saw made her speechless- to the huge gaping hole in her wall.

Misao glanced at what had captured Okon's attention and shrugged. "That? Oh, its nothing. Let's go to your room, okay?"

The older woman nodded still speechless that Misao wasn't all that concerned about the destruction of her room.

Inside Okon's room Misao couldn't help her self any more, the curiosity was eating her alive.

"What is it? Tell me! OH! I can't take this anymore!"

"Hush, hush!" That silenced Misao but more so when Okon reached her hand into the small bag to pull out what was to be hers. She almost squeaked when Okon pulled her hand out. "I'll leave the honor to you," Okon tossed the bag to Misao.

She almost missed the bag when she lunged greedily for it but her reflects managed for her. Misao pulled out the contents of the bag but stopped short when she saw what was inside. She stared at it, even scratched her head but she couldn't figure out what it was.

She turned quizzical eyes on Okon who exasperated, she answered with a sigh. "That, my dear Misao, is a thong. If you pull out the other thing you have lingerie."

Misao scrunched up her face and shook her hand tossing the thong a couple of feet away from herself.


	16. Irony for tea

**Chapter 16**

Okon smiled despite Misao's protest. She liked a challenge and Misao was giving her one… she regretted letting Okina have all the fun with him. With Misao and Okina's luck they'll probably send Aoshi packing or coming home in a box or urn or worse… a liking for the same sex!

"Come, come Misao! Or… shall I say Misao-chan?" Okon was steering the teary-eyed –she tried crying to get out of it!- ninja girl towards the "evil" article of clothing.

When they got to two in a half feet of it Misao turned out pulling a sad puppy eye look but Okon brushed her last hopes away when she stuck her tongue out and pulled up her eyelid exposing the white of her eye.

Okon giggled evilly. "You don't expect that to work on me do you?" She put her hands on her hips, her eyes gleaming with confidence saying, "Come now Misao. I know you… you don't like to waste anything! Put this on – at least for one night!

Misao looked fearfully at the thong. "I… what would I _do_ with it? Oh - I don't know about this, Okon! Please, oh please, don't make me do this!"

Okon sighed as brought her hand up to inspect her nails. She paused for dramatic affect as Misao groveled at her feet. "Oh, I suppose… I can't let you do it-"

"-Yes!" Misao had jumped up from the floor pulling out a match from somewhere inside her sleeve.

"I can't let you do it alone!"

Misao stared wide-eyed at her older friend before she comprehended her words and when she did her eyes got wider. "Ah… Okon…?"

"Yes."

"A three-sum wouldn't help me overcome my nervousness!"

Okon's mouth fell open, "I wasn't suggesting that Misao my dear! _But_…" that evil glint had come back to Okon's eyes as she paused placing her hand to her chin in thought. "No! I can't be unfaithful to my big chunk of a hunk Hiko-sama!"

Misao started edging away ever so slowly… ever so slowly… When she saw that Okon had returned to this planet –for dreams like that can't be anything but inspired by the Heavens- Misao threw all caution to the wind and sprinted for the door but Okon, being strategically closer to the door, intercepted her. Okon caught Misao around the waste, twirled her around a little to disorient her and then let her go away form the door.

Misao danced from one foot to the other still twirling around before she tripped over her own foot to land butt up with her face only an centimeters from the despised thong. Okon was inching her way closer to Misao in case the ninja girl tried anything funny with her to escape.

"OKAY!" Misao shouted as she sat up. "I'll do it! I'll wear that- that… that _thing_!"

"Yes! Days like this, when things like this make me proud to be up in people's business!" Okon started crying like Misao, but for different reasons. She, unlike the little girl, didn't have to confront someone that left the city and area to be away from her.

"Okay, lets get started!" Okon said with new vigor and determination. "Uh, Misao, its not like you be showing it off _tonight_! Unless things go smoothly with Gramps and everything but I doubt it because he doesn't know how to properly treat women these days and well… well I am droning on and on… Misao! Come back here and sit down!"

"Aaaaaaaaaaahhh!"

* * *

Aoshi went into the dining room followed by Okina who was walking… weirdly… like some one had thrown a dart at his leg and was slowly putting it to sleep. Aoshi was about to question him about it but they sat down to drink tea and Okina seemed to sit down without any difficulty.

Aoshi didn't care for company, in fact he strictly tried to avoid it but Okina had asked him to accompany him in drinking some tea. Aoshi also noticed on top of the funny way he was walking that he had slid a bottle of sake up his sleeve.

Aoshi was enjoying Okina's quite company until the Old Man started talking. "I noticed that _you_ noticed the way I was walking, Aoshi. Did you like it? Well, I hope that you didn't because it's for the ladies."

Aoshi just nodded sipping his tea. He had a strategy involving the old man. It was to nod now and then but basically to keep quiet. Okina could talk forever if he thought or at least knew you were pretending to listen.

Aoshi nodded when Okina paused but it seamed to be the wrong thing to do when Okina suddenly got up and looked back at him like he was supposed to do the same thing. _Oh shi_…. Aoshi put his cup of tea down on the tray in front of him and stood up. He did all of this slowly incase Okina would give a hint at what he wanted.

"Come on," Okina said as he left the room.

_Obviously he wants me to follow him…_ Aoshi thought sarcastically.

Aoshi couldn't help but think he had gotten himself in way over his head. He shuddered… What ever Okina wanted Aoshi knew he did not.

"… and here we are." Okina said finishing what he was talking about earlier – Aoshi hadn't been listening and didn't bother nodding because he was behind Okina and he wouldn't see- and opening the door to his room.

Aoshi gulped as he strung the clues together… the way Okina was walking... talk of pleasing the ladies… the smug look on his face… _Oh no! He wants to give me advice about Women! _Aoshi realized with horror.

* * *

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­A/N: I was stumped at chapter fifteen but I seem to be getting back in the groove of writing this fic and I never thought that I would go this far with this fic. Feedback would be great for inspiration:) 


	17. Keys Love And Exasperation

**Chapter 17**

A horrible, sickening sensation slid down the ex-Okashira's throat as he swallowed back a response to Okina's questions so he just sat stalk still in the older man's bedroom. Aoshi's silent replies didn't seem to bother Okina at all for he liked to talk and liked women. And he thought he knew those two subjects pretty damn well, if you asked him. But Aoshi did not think so. Nor would he ever find those horrible words crawling out of his mouth.

"… And if you want maximum response from your chosen mate while doing this it would be wise to follow up what I just demonstrated with something like this," Okina followed that remark with a gesture that Aoshi barely looked away from before he barfed. Aoshi was miffed that the old man wasn't embarrassed by they way he was talking or acting, _he_ surely would be!

Okina had paused, looking intently around the room for what Aoshi thought he called a "tool" of some sorts. Catching the tail end of that last thing Okina said, Aoshi disregarded it thinking he had not heard correctly… at least that's what he was wishing for.

Okina was digging through a drawer when Aoshi realized that he just wanted simply to help, no matter how unwelcome or unnecessary it may be. Aoshi remembered when he was ten or so Okina explained to him about men and woman and what love and other things means. Needless to say Aoshi swore off girls afterwards. He was careful after that to never be in the same room as one of the servant-girls in their headquarters who always fumbled and blushed around him. She was short was all that Aoshi remembered about her… and she had the silkiest looking hair that framed the biggest eyes he had ever seen!

A loud noise drew Aoshi's attention back to Okina who happened to be whooping loudly and in between that he was saying that he had thought he had lost whatever vile instrument he had found. Aoshi hoped it had nothing to do with what they were talking about… he sighed as Okina smiled at him while pointing to a rather long, small box with blue and red designs about the corners of it. Okina blew dust off of the top as he walked back to the tortured soul sitting as though chained to the floor.

The contents of the box rattled as he drew it up to his face, peeled up one corner to look inside of it. "Its all here," he muttered half to himself and half for Aoshi just remind him he too, will see what's inside.

"Shall we continue then?" Aoshi desperately wanted to scream "no" or run for it. "Don't be too enthusiastic now! I remember when I was a boy – I was a cocky boy – I thought I already knew all there was to know! Boy was I wrong…" Okina's eyes twinkled fondly as he remembered his rowdy youth.

The mysterious box (Aoshi doubted very much that he ever _wanted_ that mystery to be solved) was placed in front of him after Okina sat himself down facing Aoshi. Unconsciously Aoshi eyed the box instead of watching Okina to see what his next approach would be. So it was much to the ex-Okashira's chagrin that Okina thought his curiosity was in wanting to see the contents.

"This box," Okina rested his hand on it as if it would fly away, " was passed down from generation to generation presently resting in my possession. I say 'resting' because I have not used it in a while and it is indeed resting waiting for its next owner to use it. I have always thought that I would pass on its legacy to you, no matter how slow you are about matters of the heart.

"But I have wondered whether it would be best to let the tradition die down. I pondered many days –Not nights because for I was busy then- about whether I should look for another heir but you, being Okashira at such a young age, was the obvious choice. I'm glad that I didn't pass it down to another for you are in need of it…"

Aoshi stopped paying attention to the old coot, who was just repeating himself in as many was as he could think up to force Aoshi into asking what was inside of the box, to study the rectangular object again.

Ten minutes passed and Okina was _still_ expressing how wise it was of him to have waited for Aoshi to pass it on to. Ten whole minutes and he still showed no sign of continuing on to a different subject. It was no use, Aoshi had patience but not for dallying. He would have to ask.

The opportunity came when Okina paused for breath. "What is in it?" Aoshi asked betraying neither his embarrassment nor his lack of enthusiasm.

"Be happy to tell! Happy to tell…" Okina brought the box to the level of both of their eyes with his right had and with the other he fitted his fingers of three sides of the box – it was too long for his fingers to be on all four sides at once – and slowly lifted the lid. Sitting up straighter did not allow Aoshi the privilege of seeing what the ruckus was all about because whatever lay inside was covered with a golden wrap.

The golden wrap had black kanji on it but the way it was folded coupled with Okina's fingers obscured whatever hint he could have gotten from reading it. Okina's free hand slide into the golden wrap hesitating over whatever it was that lay inside before sliding as slowly as can be – the old man, it seemed, wanted to kill Aoshi with suspense- before it stopped. All that the ex-Okashira cold see was something that was small and round and could be golden but was too shiny too tell.

"Dammit!" Okina growled. He gave it a slight tug once more before tearing the object out full force. "There we go, nothing to it. This is what-" he paused to pick off a couple of strings that had pulled off when he tore it out, "This is what will unlock the keys of your desires," Okina finished with suave that you would not have thought possible given his early performance.

The shinny object was indeed gold in color. It was a key. A _key_. Aoshi could have screamed for all the suspense the old fool gave a _key_! His mind had gone _wild _with speculation about the previously mysterious contents of that small but long box!

No longer able to hold it all in the younger –by _many_ years!- man said in a deadly serious manner: "A key, shall I ask her to open her heart and soul to me?"

"Hmm… not a bad idea. See! You're learning already! Keep this up and I may have to get back in the business to keep my reputation out of your hands!

"Shall we get started then? This beauty," Okina shook the key at Aoshi, "will unlock some of the _best _tools that I have come across in my digging around. Some of the things that were passed down became outdated so I had to replace them. Ah, that was fun.

"Anyways," Okina said with a shake of his head, "We've got to get a move on. I don't know how fast Okon works. Follow me." Okina took the lead taking them out of his room. They walked at a leisurely pass for all of Okina's words of actually getting started.

They stopped at a closet door. Okina cocked an eyebrow saying, "are you ready," and opened the door without an answer. Okina went to the back of the closet while Aoshi stayed observing him from the mouth, fumbled around back there before pulling out a vast chest.

"Give an old man some help, will ya?" Okina huffed out.

Replying with a "sure" Aoshi left his post at the door to help Okina with the chest that was a lot heavier than appearances would tell. Aoshi was going drop the box just outside the closet but Aoshi said that he'd rather open it with the privacy of his room instead.

Aoshi was going to put down the load right inside the room but Okina directed him otherwise. "Lets put it in the middle, that way we can spread everything out around us. Right here's fine," Okina said putting down his end of the chest.

They stood around watching the chest and each other for signs of movement. No one moved. "Go ahead and open it." Okina tossed the key to Aoshi who effortlessly caught it. He seemed unable to move forward though, but quickly overcame his dread. A loud slicking noise and the chest lid popped open about three inches. Aoshi pulled the lid up the rest of the way letting the room's light reveal him the contents. The top of the chest abruptly stopped at a ninety-degree angle. Aoshi was frozenfrom shock.


	18. Burning Man

Chapter 18: Burning Man

For some reason, for the certainly _was_ a reason, the house was completely silent so that not the faintest sigh could go undetected by even the most unskilled ninja. Aoshi had finished his thoroughly exhausting "educational" discussion with Okina and was waiting for the slightest chance of running to the nearest well and drowning himself in it… or he would if not for his pride. Normally he would never admit defeat but this was one exception.

The breath caught in his throat as he realized that Misao must have gone through similar torture as he did. Never had he wanted Misao to be tortured because of his stubbornness, that is, essentially, the reason that he removed her from his presence.

Aoshi stood up, surveying the room for any hidden devices that the Old Fool could have implanted to detect when he left, seeing none he exited through the door, not the window which was his first choice. He walked as calmly as he could to Misao's door where he knocked softly. He interested himself in fidgeting with his shirt sleeve until he heard her light footsteps on the other side of the door. Misao's round brown eyes were the first thing Aoshi saw when the door opened but he wished he had looked elsewhere; her eyes were a hypnotizing beauty.

She smiled, "Just the person who I wanted to see! Ah! I mean-" Misao's cheeks burned a bright red, she averted her eyes.

Aoshi smiled despite himself, wishing he could show his feeling like her so that she would not feel completely isolated when she was near him. His face was neutral again when she finally met his eyes.

"I just mean… I don't know what I mean!" She threw her hands up in exasperation. "This is all so new to me, I don't know where to begin and don't really intend to do what Okon suggested! And don't ask," she pointed her finger accusingly at him.

"Didn't cross my mind," Aoshi answered trying to placate her temper.

This was, apparently, the wrong thing to saw because Misao got meaner and meaner looking but the nanosecond. Aoshi was reconsidering thinking that she was an angel because she got _deadly _when she was like this. His mind told him to back away so that she would have room to attack but his… whatever it was told him to keep his ground. He stared blankly at her.

"Don't just stand there like an ox! You could tell me why you disturbed me!" She rolled her eyes.

_Oh God! _Aoshi thought, _How can I do this? It's so… frustrating! How can I do everything right_? "Do you want to go out?"

Misao cheered up, easing his nerves if only ever-so slightly. "Let me grab a few things. I'll need a couple of minutes. 'K? Thanks!" She closed the door with and Aoshi imagined her behind it with her ponytail bouncing around as she went here and there. Letting his mind wander calmed his nerves so he soon forgot her earlier ire when she re-emerged from within her room. As she walked past him a strangely feminine sent followed behind her enticing a vulgar virility inside of him. Obediently he walked in step behind her as though he were a personal watch dog with its doting master.

His undivided attention did not permit him to notice where they were going; in fact if he had been a real watch dog he would not have gotten a treat. The place they stopped in front of did not have a good reputation but Aoshi didn't notice the vulgar name of the 'restaurant' so he followed behind her. He would have protested if only to say he had.

Misao was met with a woman of general beauty and led into a grand room in the back of the second floor. The room as decorated with miniature pillows that covered every inch of the room in a glimmering rainbow, and in the center there was one large pillow that had every color worked into a beautifully provocative design.

The woman smiled and exchanged a few quiet words with Misao then left with a bow. Misao twirled around in the room to see it from every angle. She agreed with the whole mood that it projected. She took off her coat to reveal a less then modest dress underneath. She showed more skin than she did when she wore her ninja outfit. It had the desired effect on Aoshi, although less visible and more mental. He saw the curves that were normally hidden and lusted after her like never before.

Aoshi glided to her, his hand hesitating over her shoulder before she gripped it tightly. He kissed softly pulling away before he could get drawn into it. His eyes betrayed his thoughts. They looked searchingly into hers looking for answers.

"I can't do this, Misao. This can't end well." He pulled away from her tightening his coat around himself. He closed his eyes and slowed his breathing.

He didn't see the hurt in Misao's eyes or her brimming tears. Misao lunged for her own coat on the floor but through her blurry eyes she did not see the tea kettle over the burner. She didn't manage avoiding it though. It flew through the air to spill all over Aoshi. He jumped in surprise but it still got all over him. To avoid scalding he immediately tore out of his pants. He then went to help Misao up.

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the four month disappearance. I can't promise another update anytime soon because I have a very important paper due next week and other busy work. Chao 


	19. To Stop the Heart

Meditation

Chapter 19: To Stop the Heart

"Oh, Aoshi!!" Misao wailed. Heavy tears leaked through her scrunched up eyes. She slammed her fist into the ground. "Everything I do ends in disaster, nothing will ever turn out right!"

With his pants trailing behind him, he dashed to Misao. Her body fell easily into his own. Aoshi warmly embraces her, pulled her into his won warm body to comfort her. He remembered many times, years ago, when they were both younger the countless times her had wanted to hold her and whisper in her ear that everything would work out just fine. And he did, he held her tightly while whispering words or encouragement. He told her she would be fine. That he wasn't hurt. She would not be embarrassed beyond imagination. He told she was a good girl. She was kind. And gentle.

The evening silently continued, unable to perturb the only time they ever spent together. Among the brightly colored pillows, Aoshi looked somber in his stark black trench coat but his smile, brilliantly warm, exuded a peace that he never mastered in any shrine or during any meditation session. The feeling of peace quieted Misao who sat leaning into Aoshi's chest. Her breathing slow and steady, she soon fell asleep. Having worn himself out comforting Misao, Aoshi fell asleep with his chin resting on the top of Misao's head.

* * *

In a restaurant far, far away the two devils who pride themselves in helping Aoshi and Misao laughed and talked while drinking gallons and gallons of sake. Okina and Okon laughed their heads of in side splitting laughter as they swapped stories. Okina explained how his "pupil" was so inexperienced that it was difficult to explain certain aspects. 

"When I said that, he was so confused it was cute. It reminded me of when he was just a kid, I mean, long before he was introduced to all this violence." Okina took a moment to reflect on Aoshi's period of innocence, and then on his own. He cleared his throat before continuing, "I didn't understand how before, he didn't permit himself to experience emotions."

Okon set the bottle of sake down with a remorseful look. "I know what you mean. Misao has experienced every kind of emotion, but it those emotions were dull because she never wanted to get hurt. It was hard to explain it to someone who couldn't fully grasp the concept."

For one more moment the both of them were silent, considering their failures and their successes. The next, Okina had made a grab for the nearest waitress's tush, and Okon had shrilly screeched for more sake.

"Ohoho! Okina, just think!" Okon gasped between laughs.

""Heehee! I _am_ thinking m'dear!" He took a deep gulp of sake. With a wink he added, "and I can't stop, heehee!"

Okon and Okina continued drinking and partying all night long, much to the dismay of the waitresses and waiters, and their other customers of the restaurant. Nobody, however, could say they ever saw more genuinely happy people in their lives. In fact, Okina and Okon hadn't ever been more happy, especially in any matter concerning their friends. To them, the nightly was light hearted and gay.

* * *

The morning started peaceably for everyone, Okon and Okina had returned home from the restaurant around four and were still happily partying, and Aoshi and Misao were still slumbering comfortably in each others arms. The morning wouldn't start for Okon and Okina yet, but Aoshi and Misao awoke nearly simultaneously in time and in confusion. Aoshi was sore all over, his neck had a terrible kink in it and his legs were ice cold. Misao had a better start than Aoshi; she slowly faded into awareness of her surrounding. 

Aoshi tried squirming away from whatever it was that was attached to him, but couldn't unfasten it from around his waste. With one arm he tried to pry it off of him from the front and the other tried to unhook it from around his back. His senses didn't pick up any danger so he wasn't in any rush but his legs were so cold! Aoshi tried to find a secure hand hold on the thing in front of him but it felt smooth like silk. Soon he found something that he could cup in his hand, with his new hold he pushed whatever it was away harder.

Two angry eyes opened as suddenly as Aoshi started pushing. Misao was not happy that her morning started with someone groping her. She looked to her chest and saw a big rough hand, followed the arm up to the face.

Her breath nearly caught in her throat before a blood curling shout escaped her throat. "Aoshi! Aoshi!" She wrestled away from him and then grabbed the nearest object to beat him with.

Two pillows smacked Aoshi awake. A barrage of pillow hits wasn't a normal wake up call; he shielded his head with his arms. Between each hit he looked between his wrists to see an out-of-breath Misao beating him with one blue pillow and one red pillow.

The two pillows sliced through the air like shuriken barely missing Aoshi's wide-eyed face before they exploded against the wall in a sea of feathers. Aoshi had never before despised pillows, and never more will he like them. He had had enough of those western contraptions to last him a lifetime.

"I never thought that you, _you_, were such a pervert!" Misao hugged herself as she though back on it. "How could I be so wrong about you?"

Aoshi felt oddly exposed standing in the middle of pile multi-colored pillows, in a strange whore-house, without any pants on. Never before had he thought of himself using _that _word! He was so ashamed of himself that he wanted to use some of that ninja skill he has and just disappear. He couldn't, one thing that he remembered Okina saying was to: "_Never kiss and split!_" He also could think of leaving Misao in a place like this. So, he decided, he would try and explain himself to a highly pissed of woman who felt she had been wrongly used.

_Just _great, _I can't believe my luck!_ Aoshi thought as he raced through a list of excuses that he had compiled over the years. He ticked every one of the excuses off, one by one; he was beginning to think he never created one for a situation quite like this before. And, Misao's blood red face did not help to settle the butterflies in his stomach.

* * *

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Author's Note: So I decided that I want to finish this story this year and that means actually writing something. Whadya know? So, tell me if you like it, love it, hate it. I would like something constructive so that I can know what I am doing right/wrong. Thanks for reading! Check out my other fanfics!


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